This application claims the priority of German application 100 41 487.7, filed Aug. 24, 2000.
The present invention relates to a lowerable rear window, particularly a solid-glass window, for a folding top in which the rear window is changeable from a closed folding top position into a lowered folding top position and vice versa.
A folding top having a rear window made of glass which can be swivelled by way of lateral supporting members around a transverse axis is known from German Patent Document DE 38 08 910 C2. The rear window can take up a closed position as well as an open position, in which the rear window is deposited in a receiving compartment.
It is one object of the invention to provide an improved lowerable rear window, which may be a solid-glass window, which can be changed in a simple manner from a closed position into an open position and back. Tightness is ensured in the closed position, and changing of the rear window into the open position takes place by way of few additional components.
According to the invention, bearing points by which at least one horizontal bearing axis is formed are provided at a lower transversely extending edge of the rear window. The rear window is swivelable on a body side about bearing points, and at least one steering lever is provided on each side between lateral edges of the rear window and the vehicle body. A method of changing the position of the rear window is also claimed. Other advantageous characteristics are additionally reflected in the claims.
One advantage achieved by the invention is that the rear window, made of glass, can be deposited in a simple manner in a large-surface form in a vehicle space. For this purpose, the rear window can be swivelled on the vehicle body side about at least one horizontal bearing axis. This bearing axis is preferably formed at the lower transversely extending edge of the rear window or a surrounding frame of the rear window by way of bearing points on the vehicle. At least one steering lever is provided between the lateral edges of the rear window or the frame and the vehicle body on each side for supporting guidance of the rear window into individual positions. The steering lever can also be implemented by a belt, a connecting link, or similar devices.
It is also an advantage of the invention that the solid-glass window reaches by way of its rearward transversely extending edge or frame part under a vehicle body element. Seals are provided, between this vehicle body element and the edge or the frame, for sealing in the closed folding top position. The view toward the rear, therefore, is not impaired, because a large-surface viewing area is obtained. The rear window ends directly at the vehicle body element or on a folding top compartment lid. As a result, folding top fabric is not provided as a bridging between the rear window and the vehicle body element. This is also the case when the rear window is surrounded by a frame.
Linking of the rear window is provided by only a few steering levers and bearings. The rear window is restrictedly guided by way of a toggle joint formed of two steering levers. The two steering levers are connected by way of a cable pull with a swivellable main hoop or main control arm of the folding top in a restrictedly guided manner in the closed and open positions. Instead of a cable pull, a control arm or similar devices can be used.
The opening movement of the folding top essentially takes place by way of a swivellable main hoop as well as by way of a correspondingly swivellable main control arm. One steering lever is connected for this purpose with the cable pull which, because of the movement of the main hoop or of the main control arm, can carry out a corresponding movement. As a result of the folding top movement, the movement of the rear window is controlled. It is conceivable to link the folding top by way of devices other than the main hoop and the main control arm.
One spring element, respectively, is arranged in the vehicle-body-side bearing of one steering lever so that the control arm carries out a movement in the opening direction of the folding top. This spring element seeks to adjust the steering lever against the swivelling movement of the rear window in the lowered position of the rear window. The spring element may consist of a leg spring.
In order to achieve an optimal tightness between the vehicle body element or the folding top compartment lid, on the one hand, and the tensioning hoop, on the other hand, the window frame is arranged between the vehicle body element or the folding top compartment lid of the vehicle body and a transversely extending tensioning hoop linked to the vehicle body. The window frame rests on the front side against a seal of the tensioning hoop, and a transversely extending edge of the folding top compartment lid is connected on the underside with the seal.
The tensioning hoop itself is swivellably held on the vehicle body by way of levers. In this case, the tensioning hoop is swivellably linked by levers on the vehicle body side by way of bearings provided laterally on the vehicle body, and the bearings forming the horizontal swivelling axis for the solid glass window are provided on the tensioning hoop.
Instead of having the toggle joints on both sides, the rear window may have a lever of a different construction. The bearings at the tensioning hoop may, for example, also be provided on the rearward edge of the rear window and not laterally. A motor-driven adjustment of the rear window is also conceivable when the steering levers are eliminated; the motors then, for example, would form the lower transversely extending swivelling axis. Furthermore, the tensioning hoop may also be provided only laterally of the rear window.
An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and will be described in detail.